Seven Years Gone
by Charity Errs
Summary: Seven years have past and Link must adjust to his new life, new mission, and new body.


I own nothing.

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_Link..._

_Don't be alarmed..._

_Look at yourself..._

He looked down at his body. No, this wasn't right. This wasn't his body. What was going on? This body was so big. He's only ten years old! These arms, hands, legs – this body! They weren't his.

_You were too young to be the Hero of Time...._

_Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years._

Seven years? Seven years! That wasn't right. Nothing made sense. He's just a kid!

_The time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time!_

No. He's just a kid. He didn't understand. That wasn't possible! It was not possible. And yet, why wasn't he more confused? How could he even begin to comprehend what was going on here? He was sealed in the Temple of Time for seven years. Seven years. Now, he was awake and must save Hyrule. He's just a kid.

_Do you understand your destiny?_

He's just a kid.

_Do you understand your destiny?_

"I understand."

The sage was gone, and he let the information sink in. Seven years. He was a man now, all grown up. He missed it, the growing part. It wasn't fair.

"Link...we're back in the Temple of Time... But have seven years really passed?" Navi stared at him, taking in the sight for the first time, "You've grown. You're big now."

"I noticed, Navi."

For once the fairy comprehended he didn't want to listen to her noisome chatter. She saw him barely holding it together. He was only a child; a child shouldn't have to deal with this. Any normal kid would be crying.

"Oh, Link," she tried to comfort him.

"I'm not gonna cry."

She moved towards him, but he brushes her off.

"I'm not gonna cry."

He spoke so cold– so... unemotionally, it surprised her. A child shouldn't have to go through everything he's been through, and yet, until this point he at least stayed optimistic; until this point he was as cheerful and care free as a child should be, or was he just pretending? She wasn't sure anymore.

He wasn't going to think about his lost childhood. Focus on something else. He made his way off of the altar and moved toward the door.

He glanced around the temple and saw something in the corner. After making his way to it, he saw it was clothes folded and waiting for him. On top, a green tunic, identical to the one he is wearing. No. Not identical, very similar, but larger. An adult sized tunic.

He looked down at the large body – his body – once more, and saw how his old clothes fit him now. They were tight. Very, very tight. He blushed, thinking of what he would've endured, had he walked out into the town square looking like he did. His old green tunic came up to his hips, revealing his undergarments (which were also incredibly tight) to the world.

He awkwardly shifted himself out of the tight shirt, somehow managing to keep it intact. Then he looked once more down at his new body. He was bigger, much bigger. It looked so alien, he was just getting used to seeing adults in general, and now he had to adapt to being trapped in one of their bodies. He was never supposed to get this big, not long ago he thought he was a Kokiri.

He's tall, even taller than many men he has seen. His arms were toned and muscular, and covered with a fine smattering of blonde hair. His shoulders felt strong also; he wagered he could nearly lift bomb-flowers without the Goron Bracelet now. His chest and abdominals were sculpted perfectly, so well-built he could see the creases between his muscles. And his legs. They were longer than they should be. No, they were the right size, just longer than he was conditioned to think they would ever be. And they were strong as well, after bending his knees a few times his decided they would be plenty sufficient. They were as tough as he would need them to be in his long treks across the country, long journeys through baffling dungeons, and long battles against the Evil King's minions.

Resentfully, he admitted that his new body was better suited for the quest ahead, than his ten year old one.

He was still wearing his small briefs, which were now barely doing their intended job. He was a man, and it showed. In spite of himself, he thought of what it means. What does he do as a man, besides liberate Hyrule? Was he supposed to take a wife? Last time he was near a girl he was barely interested in a platonic relationship, let alone a romantic one. He pushed the issue to the back of his mind. He didn't need to worry about it now.

He's just a kid.

After replacing his tiny undergarments with the large ones, he put on the white pants. They were trousers. He never wore trousers as a child; Kokiri children wear tights, or nothing at all under their tunics. It was strange putting pants on for the first time; he felt the fabric rubbing against his knees and was unsettled by the sensation.

He saw the new boots off to the side and grabbed them. His old boots and socks had ripped open during his seven years of captivity. The new ones fit perfectly, but they seemed large and clumsy. They would get in the way.

Where he had lifted the clothes off the floor there was a looking glass, a bowl of water, and small blade. He realized that he hadn't seen his face yet. What did he look like as a man? Slowly he lifted it from the ground and braced himself for the reflection he was about to see.

There was hair everywhere! Not only had he gone seven years without a haircut, but he had facial hair. It didn't look as if it grew too quickly, but the accumulation of at least two years had left him with a fully grown beard. Now he knew what the blade was for.

Quickly he lathered his face up, and began to carefully bring the blade across his cheek.

"Ah!" he hissed.

Slowly blood began to ooze from the small cut he had made on his chin.

"Careful," scolded Navi.

At the sound of her voice, he jerked the blade back, cutting himself again.

"Damn it, Navi!"

Shamefully, he had forgotten she was there. As a child it had seemed so natural to have a fairy with him at all times, it was what he longed for all his life, but now... He had never seen a man with a fairy hovering around his head.

After minutes of pressure on the small abrasions, the blood stopped coming, he washed his face and began attempt number two. It wasn't as bad as the first, and he managed to finish without hurting himself again.

Next was his hair. He quickly grabbed chunks and cut them off swiftly, not bothering to be carefully or precise. After a minute or two there was blondeness littered about the floor, and he warily examined himself more closely in the mirror.

He looked like himself. It was obvious to him, he was the same person, but yet... he was so different. The little boy he used to be had hardened and there was a sturdy, masculine look about his face. His jaw was more pronounced, stubborn looking. The baby fat he had always had was gone; you could see his high cheek bones. One might say he looked handsome and almost... noble, but with a bit more ruggedness than one would expect from an aristocrat. Would anyone recognize him?

On the floor were the adult tunic, and an undershirt. He had vainly left them for last, because he was impressed with his new upper body. He put the undershirt on and looked at the green tunic. It seemed almost too familiar for this new life. The green would remind him too much of his childhood. Perhaps he could get a new one. Would he have time? It'd probably be trivial to replace these new clothes, when he had so much to do. But still... maybe, if an opportunity presented itself.

He lifted the shirt over his head and let it drop down over his body. Confidently, he wrapped the leather belt around his torso and buckled it.

"Listen! It looks like you won't be able to use some of the weapons you found as a kid anymore..."

Navi was right. Could Rauru not have realized that he would be ill-equipped as an adult? All he had were children's toys.

Grudgingly, he removed the small Deku Nuts from there pouch. They had saved his life when he fought Queen Gohma, now he couldn't even handle them with his clumsy, big fingers. His slingshot and its Deku Seeds were next to go, when he wrapped his hand around it, it didn't even reach half way down in his fist. He had the same problem with his boomerang. Bitterly, he realized he would have to leave his trusty Deku Shield in the Temple as well, seeing as it wouldn't protect his new adult body at all. And the Kokiri Sword! It looked like a small knife in his hands, useless.

It was depressing, looking at the items he had acquired not long ago, items he had coveted, and realizing they were now worthless. Each had played a role in his quest so far, some had even saved his life, and now they were cast aside, discarded. He was abandoning them.

But he could still use some. He would keep his bombs, the Deku sticks may come in handy, and the three bottles he had were strapped securely to his belt as well. And the Goron Bracelet, luckily, could be shaped to fit around his wrist; although his strength had increased exponentially, he didn't want to have to test it. He kept the Golden Scale the Zoras had given him as well.

Roughly, he put on the leather fingerless gloves; they fit well, as if they were made for him. He quickly strapped the sheath and Hylian Shield onto his back. Cautiously, he picked up the Master Sword, it felt so right in his hand, but he couldn't help but resent it for what it did to him. If he had never touched it, he would still be ten years old. He shook his head, and placed the sword in its scabbard. It's best not to think such things.

Lastly, he put on the forest green cap. Whoever left the clothes had bad sense of humor. He looked like his old self, but not quite. Adults weren't supposed to dress like forest children. He looked how his father would have appeared, dressed in Kokiri clothing.

Father... he never thought of parents before. He was not a Koriki. That was now obvious. He must have a real family. A father, a mother. He shouldn't have to think about something as significant as this.

He's just a kid.

He was ready to turn and run out into the new world that awaited him, when he stopped in his tracks. The ocarinas. He slowly reached into the pouch that for so long held only his going away present and pulled out two. He held one in each hand.

"Bring only what you need, Link."

He resented the fairy's condescending tone. Of course, he knew that even the slightest bit of extra weight wasn't acceptable. If he could choose he would take the first, but it was too small. For a few minutes he tried desperately to play the little instrument, but to no avail. He should take the Ocarina of Time.

No. Why should he? It was a nuisance. It had ruined his life! It and that damned Master Sword. But he was taking the Master Sword, and he would need an ocarina. The songs he had learned, they had power. More power than he ever imagined music could have.

But the first was a gift from Saria.

Saria... she was still a child. Everyone in the forest was, they had stayed young, because they were Kokiri, and he was not. He began to breath deeper, and he felt himself begin to shake.

When he was getting ready, Navi could see he was alright. He was good at compartmentalizing. Now that he was beginning to wonder about what to do next, now that he didn't have a specific task, he was returning to the child's mentality.

"Link, are you – "

"I'm not gonna cry," he took a deep breath, "Grown men don't cry."

He swallowed hard and threw the child's ocarina onto the pile of discarded items. He didn't need it, so he wouldn't bring it. He returned the Ocarina of Time to its pouch.

After checking himself over one more time, he decided he was ready. Ready for what? Ready for victory? Ready for death? It didn't matter; he didn't have a choice either way.

"I'm ready."

"Let's get out of here!"

He turned and went to exit the room; he could hear his footstep reverberating through the temple. One step wasn't right, it sounded different from the others. After standing still for a moment longer than he normal would, he heard breathing behind him. Immediately, he turned and seized his sword and shield from his back. Within seconds he was ready to attack.

Standing on the altar, where he was not long ago, was a figure. The person was dressed in outlandish clothing, and their face was covered with fabric.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time..."

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There it is, my first OOT fic. I'm not sure if this is going to be a for real novelization, if I'm going to skip around, or if I should just leave it like this and be done with it. What do you think? I'm open to suggestions. I will take all reviews into serious consideration, including those along the lines of, "Oh my god this sucks so bad, you should go kill yourself, never write about Zelda again!" So, yeah, let me know, if should I write more. Review, please. Okay. Thanks.


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